The invention relates to a method for joining a composite sheet to a metallic substrate, wherein the composite sheet has at least one metallic top layer and at least one non-metallic layer which consists of a plastic material, wherein an opening is introduced into the composite sheet, and wherein at least one joining element is provided which is inserted into the opening of the composite sheet. In addition, the invention relates to a structure, in particular produced using an embodiment of the above mentioned method, comprising a composite sheet and a substrate, wherein the composite sheet has at least one metallic top layer and at least one non-metallic layer which consists of a plastic material, wherein at least one joining element is arranged in the composite sheet.
Composite sheets, also called damping sheets, which have at least one metallic top layer and a non-metallic layer, usually a plastic layer, are increasingly being used in automotive engineering due to their high flexural rigidity and their vibration-damping properties. A large reduction in weight can be achieved in particular in vehicle body construction by using composite sheets.
Durably joining composite sheets to a substrate is known from the prior art, for example from JP 01005678 A. JP 01005678 A relates to a method for arc welding a damping sheet, which has a plastic resin layer between two metallic layers, to a substrate, wherein an opening is introduced into the substrate and into the metal layer of the damping sheet pointing to the substrate. The damping sheet is joined to the substrate along the opening by arc welding. The plastic resin layer in the process passes into the gas phase. The disadvantage of welding processes of this type is that the plastic material has an indirect effect on the welding process and hence results in an unstable arc.
Taking this as the starting point, the invention is based on the object of specifying a generic method for joining a composite sheet to a metallic substrate with process reliability and of specifying a corresponding structure, so that the disadvantages from the prior art are avoided.